1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system, and in particular, to a computer implemented method for modulating a resource for operating a data processing environment. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, system, and computer usable program code for scaling energy use in a virtualized data processing environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data processing systems can be divided into logical partitions (LPARs). Such data processing systems are also known as logical partitioned data processing systems. A logical partition is also known simply as a “partition”. Each partition operates as a separate data processing system independent of the other partitions. Generally, a partition management firmware component connects the various partitions and provides the network connectivity among them. A Hypervisor is an example of such partition management firmware.
A partition or another commonly used data processing system may access one or more data storage devices for reading, writing, storing, and managing data. A partition may also access one or more data communication network devices (network) for sending and receiving data, such as from a data storage device. A network may be a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN).
In some partitioned data processing systems, virtual input/output (I/O) servers provide the partitions access to one or more network or data storage devices. A data storage device may include one or more physical data storage units, such as hard disks, as in the case of a storage array, or a storage area network (SAN).
A partition, with or without the use of a virtual I/O server may access a particular data storage device or a particular network over more than one data communication paths. Data communications conducted between a partition and a data storage device or a network over more than one data communication paths are called multipath I/O.
A partition utilizing multipath I/O may use multiple I/O adapters to communicate with the data storage device or network. Each I/O adapter may communicate with the data storage device over different data networks. Multipath I/O configurations are commonly employed in partitioned data processing system for increasing the data throughput rates between a partition and a data storage device or a remote data processing system. Multipath I/O configurations also improve the reliability of the data communications between a partition and a data storage device or a remote data processing system by providing redundant data communication paths between them.